'This Accessory Uses Too Much Power' On iPhone: What It Means And How To Fix It

Every new OS update brings new bugs and issues with it. If we talk specifically about iOS, many users started complaining that they were not able to make or receive calls on their iPhones after downloading the iOS 18.01 update. While most of these software-related issues get fixed by a following software update, there are some hardware-related issues that don't usually get fixed by software updates. One such problem is the "This accessory uses too much power" error that you might see on your iPhone or iPad.

In some older iPhones and iPads, you may see a different warning, like "The attached accessory uses too much power." Ultimately, the meaning and cause of both these messages are the same. As the error message indicates, the problem is with the accessory that you have attached to your iPhone or iPad. That accessory could be anything — your charger, external mic, or even a pen drive. Fortunately, although the problem is very common, there's a quick, easy fix for it. 

There are multiple ways by which you can transfer data stored on your pen drive to your iPhone. You can connect both your pen drive and iPhone to your Windows PC or Mac and then transfer the data between them. But if you don't have a Windows PC or Mac with you, then you can take the help of a USB-A Camera Adapter. This device can also come in handy in connecting other USB-A devices to your iPhone or iPad and transferring data between them.

However, while using this device, you might see the "This accessory uses too much power" error message, resulting in you being unable to access the connected device on your iPhone. The error message usually appears when the device you've connected to the USB-A Camera Adapter requires a higher wattage to operate than your iPhone or iPad can provide when not in charge.

That's the situation when you're encountering the error message on using a USB-A Camera Adapter, but what if you're facing the problem on putting your iPhone or iPad to charge? In such a case, the error message stems from either your power brick or charging cable. If any of these two pieces of equipment are malfunctioning, you'll likely face the error at hand.

Although it's a hardware-related problem, we'd recommend you unplug your iPhone or iPad from everywhere and then force restart it. Sometimes, a simple force restart can do the trick and save you from getting into advanced fixes.

If restarting the device was not helpful, it's time to rely on the solution that Apple recommends in case of facing the error in question. First, if you're getting the error upon connecting an external device, you need to use a Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter instead of a USB-A Camera Adapter.

The Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter has two ports — a Lightning port and a USB-C port. You'll need to connect the external device, like a pen drive, to the USB-A port and your iPhone or iPad charger to the Lightning port, then plug your iPhone charger into power. This way, your iPhone will get the power that is required by the connected external device. 

If you're seeing the error message when connecting your iPhone or iPad to charge, you need to make sure you are using the official Apple charger. Using a third-party charger can cause more issues, along with the error you are seeing. Furthermore, make sure you're using a charging brick of at least 18W. The error could also be the result of using a broken cable or power brick. Make sure both the charging brick and cable aren't broken before using. However, if nothing helps and you continue to face the problem, you'd need to contact the Apple support team or reach out to the nearest Apple service station.